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Texas GOP touts its Hispanic model

The Texas GOP has a lot to crow about: in a state that’s nearly 40 percent Hispanic, all statewide offices are held by Republicans; about 700 new Hispanic delegates went to the party’s convention last summer; Ted Cruz, the son of a Cuban immigrant, has just been elected to the U.S. Senate; and George P. Bush—who is of Hispanic descent—looks primed for a statewide run.

In interviews, a dozen party leaders, operatives, businessmen, elected officials and others said Texas could serve as a model for national Republicans looking to draw more Hispanics into the fold. They point to a proven Lone Star recipe that combines policies aimed at assisting immigrants, mixed with an effective political ground game and outreach – all of it glued together by welcoming language that embraces the Latino population and its concerns. And, those involved say, the Texas GOP has largely avoided miring itself in anti-immigrant legislation and sharp-edged words and phrases that have turned off Latino voters nationally, particularly in the last election cycle.

Perhaps the party’s single most important recent effort has been the passage of a plank supporting guest workers at the state Republican convention last summer. The key language states that the party endorses a temporary worker initiative to “bring skilled and unskilled workers into the United States for temporary periods of time when no U.S. workers are currently available.”

Texas Republicans said the plank has sent a powerful message of inclusion to the state’s Hispanic population.

But who made you sole arbiters of what America means? Are you some WASP who can trace his lineage back to the mayflower? If not, where do you get off saying that your culture is AMERICA and a recent Puerto Rican immigrant to Nashville’s isn’t??

What have I said that indicates that I don’t like Hispanics? I don’t like the wave of un-assimilated foreigners changing the cultural nature of the country, and that has nothing to do with race. Why do you equate the two? Perhaps this is the true issue that the GOP has to deal with. How do you defend the American culture from illegal immigration and do it in a way that is acceptable to CH and Ernesto.

Yes, that’s what I grew up seeing, and also saw a lot of that on our family ranch and on other ranches like the King ranch, which housed and entire Mexican village to work the ranch. Ranch foremen by and large are fluent in colloquial Spanish. Many anglos I know from ranching backgrounds have Spanish nicknames. For example, instead of Trey, they’ll use Tres. Or they’ll use the Spanish diminutive for English names. Little Bill is called Billito instead of Billy. Sorry to rattle on, but that’s the way it’s always been here.

However, I can understand that a town that has a sudden large influx that fails to assimilate could feel invaded.

And even though we still have all those cross-border relationships, no one really goes to Mexico anymore because it’s too dangerous. That has been a big change over the last decade. it used to be really common to run across the border to shop or have a meal–no más.

Can you not list some key differences between your culture and that of the supposed invaders?

ernesto on December 1, 2012 at 4:48 PM

Their culture for a large part is destructive towards wealth creation in general. The more our culture becomes like their culture, the worse our prosperity. We already absorbed a large degree of culture from them, the good parts that made us more prosperous and we asked those who moved here to discard the rest of their culture and become one with the nation.

The fact is, diversity = conflict. We got rid of the diversity in our early history through the melting pot, and thus we got rid of much of the conflict. Now they want to remain as far removed from our culture as they can and force us to accommodate their obviously less prosperous culture, creating large conflicts.

If they want to be Americans great. If they want to be Mexicans living in America, I think I would be happy with them living in Mexico suffering from their culture, rather than me and my family suffering from it.

Well, in contrast to Mexico, what we have in the US is the rule of law, which is gone from Mexico, if they ever really had it. We have less corruption violent crime, and more individual freedom. We can buy guns–they can’t. Our mineral resources are not nationalized. Those are a few things that about our culture that need defending. Of course, many Americans who happen to be Hispanic have those same American values. Many anglo Americans do not have those American values. If I could I would deport all of Chicago’s corrupt Marxist residents to Mexico in exchange for keeping the gal who cuts my hair and is here legally from Mexico. She dislikes Obama more than I do, which is saying a lot, and she’s working on her citizenship.

Can you admit that 16+ million illegal aliens “supposed invaders” are an invasion? Can you even call them illegal aliens?

I missed this earlier:

Thats the difference between us: if a bunch of rednecks moved onto my block I wouldn’t consider them “taking it over”. That’s xenophobia if I ever heard it.

ernesto on December 1, 2012 at 3:52 PM

Now you’re just being dishonest. We all know how you feel about rednecks. You’ve made that clear in the past, but if you must I think I can dig up your quotes. You’ve said things about rednecks that I’ve never said about Hispanics, and yet I’m the racist.

Those are policy differences. Where are the cultural differences? Do you really think that those born in Latin America are inherently less disposed to respect the rule of law because they speak spanish and can have fiery tempers and come from an oppressed people?

No, Ernesto, that’s culture. Mexico has a very stratified society that comes from Spanish colonization. Ever read about the old caste system? Mestizo, criollo, etc? It still exists, informally. This shows up in a kleptocratic spanish blood upper class that keeps opportunity from the mestizo lower class. Corruption is endemic, as anyone who’s paid off a Mexican cop or customs worker knows. Yeah, we have those problems here, but to a much lesser extent.

I know from lifelong experience that people of different ethnic heritage are not genetically predisposed to be more or less corrupt or tyrannical. It’s all due to the culture in which they are reared.

Those are policy differences. Where are the cultural differences? Do you really think that those born in Latin America are inherently less disposed to respect the rule of law because they speak spanish and can have fiery tempers and come from an oppressed people?

ernesto on December 1, 2012 at 5:08 PM

Yes. I once attended a lecture by a linguist about the effects of language. He pointed out something that I never noticed. You think in your language, and thus your language limits, and directs your thoughts. This may go a long way to explain many cultural differences.

ernesto, I also want to say that the fusion of TexMex food, music, celebrations, and language we have here is a great blessing. It would be much more boring without it. Fiesta San Antonio is the seciond biggest We also have a strong German heritage in this city. They are a very orderly culture and a great asset, but even at Wurstfest they have Tex Mex food.

@ernesto
Why is it important for you to be liked by people you presume to be so distasteful? Libs have this need to be liked.

@DFCtomm
You seem to be the opposite of Ernesto. You refuse to acknowledge millions’ humanity for the sake of stroking your anger-stick. Relax. Make more money and people are able to bother you less. I have a lot more in common with my second-generation American neighbors than I do with my native employees.

However, I can understand that a town that has a sudden large influx that fails to assimilate could feel invaded.

And even though we still have all those cross-border relationships, no one really goes to Mexico anymore because it’s too dangerous. That has been a big change over the last decade. it used to be really common to run across the border to shop or have a meal–no más.

juliesa on December 1, 2012 at 4:32 PM

Texans really get it, culturally. I think for me it’s a little more clinical. If somebody doesn’t break the law, bother my family or property I’m pretty uninterested in their affairs.

It’s not that I have a particular affinity for immigrants. I just don’t define people by political policy.

@DFCtomm
You seem to be the opposite of Ernesto. You refuse to acknowledge millions’ humanity for the sake of stroking your anger-stick. Relax. Make more money and people are able to bother you less. I have a lot more in common with my second-generation American neighbors than I do with my native employees.